Fallout Fanon Wiki:How To Make A Quality Character
Hello there! Welcome to Part One of Eagle oo8i's new Wikia How-To Series! Today we will talk about making a character. InfoBox Making a quality character page requires a number of things, the first is an Infobox. Make sure you take note of that, it will come up again. For this How-To, let's use a standard one, which can be found Here: Template:Character So, I'll start by explaining everything in the InfoBox: What you see above is an InfoBox. Most of the information is self-explanatory. Just to make sure you understand it all, I will quickly go over everything. Name This isn't really something you should need help with...just pick a name. Image Your image shows everyone what your character looks like. Choosing the right image is important, using a plain image of a power-armored trooper is not recommended. If you are unable to find a good Fallout image you should use one of a real person (though using a picture of yourself is not a smart idea). Usually, a picture of an actor is used, such as in the case of John McAllister. Try to stick more with the Fallout world. Born This would be the year your character was born. Simply take whatever year your fanon takes place, subtract the character's age and you have a year of birth. Died Is he dead? Did someone pump him full of lead? Did someone wham him on the head? Include only the year he died. Gender Boy or Girl? The first question you are asked by James in starting Fallout 3. Race/Ethnicity This is simple. Make sure his/her name matches the race (Ronald McDonald is not a Spanish/Russian). Role Your character's job. From Raider to Mercenary to Sheriff to Soldier, and everything in the middle... Family Your character got a wife? Husband? Father? Mother? Brother? Sister? Son? Daughter? Status How is your character right now? Dead? Alive? Unknown? The Character Page The real body of your character page is the biography. Let's quickly review how to write a quality biography. The best way to write a character page, like any other page, is to keep asking yourself questions about the subject. Once again, remember this, as it will come up again. So, here's a list of what to ask yourself. Feel free to add stuff to your list, remember: It's YOUR Character!! Early Life * Where was your character born? * What did his/her father do for a living? His/Her Mother? * Where did he/she live? * What did he/she do at a young age? * Did he/she have any special interests? * Did anything happen to him/her that would influence his/her life later on? Mid-Life * Has he/she done anything important? * What does he/she do for a living? * Where does he/she live? * Is he/she part of an organization? * If so, what has he/she done for that organization? * How does this character mix with others? * What are this character's habits? * How has your character affected the world? Other Info * You may include a section on the character's personal equipment, if notable. * If you don't provide a picture you may wish to type a section titled 'description'. * A character's personality may also warrant its own section. Specifics REMEMBER: YOUR CHARACTER WILL NEED MORE INFORMATION THAN THAT!!! Ask yourself specific questions, such as: * If your character lived in a vault, how did he/she get out? * If your character is a soldier, what are some notable battles he/she was in? * If your character is educated, how did they learn? Where? * If your character is a caravan trader, what is his route? Stats Table (Optional) If you want, you can add a stats table to your character page which will include your character's S.P.E.C.I.A.L. and his/her skills, perks, and karma. Summary Oddly enough, the last thing you write about your character is the first thing on the page a viewer will read: The Summary. Make sure that the summary has NO HEADLINE and is ABOVE THE BIOGRAPHY but BELOW THE INFOBOX CODE in the edit box or else it will appear below the table of contents. For the summary, you are basically rewriting the Bio in a short method. List his name, rank (if any), job, and a brief summary of his life. (3 to 4 sentences). Learn to write a summary well; every single page should have a summary, not just characters. Layout What you write in the edit box and how you see it in the article are slightly different. Make sure the code for your Infobox is the VERY FIRST thing in the edit box, followed by the summary, followed by the biography. Other * DO NOT include Rank or Title in the article name; If you do, don't worry, it can be fixed by someone who knows how, such as myself. * DO NOT create some sort of God. Keep it real people. See bottom of page. * PLEASE, try to avoid contradicting Canon. Contradictions will be marked as such and deleted within 14 days if not corrected. * DO use correct spelling and grammar. It is understandable to have a few mistakes, but pay attention to what you write. If your idea is good enough to put on the wiki, it deserves for you to put in the effort of correct spelling and grammar. * YOU CAN add a Character creation section, like on what inspired you to make him/her and what that character was based off. But it is preferred for this to be on the TALK PAGE of the character. Finished Product REMEMBER THAT YOUR CHARACTER'S PAGE CAN BE AS LONG AS YOU WANT IT!!!! *'Note': You can also include a stats table. Found here: Template:Stats Table Examples *'Good Character' *'Bad Character' No. Just.. No. This is a small list of things not to do with your character, by User:Teh Krush. *Your character can't fly. **You don't have a jet-pack either. Stop trying. *Your character isn't invincible. (unless you are Jacob Vaughton, or wearing MR-6 Power Armor, even then, high velocity lead is detrimental to their health, and will eventually prove fatal). **Sadly, that also means that your character DOES NOT have the "Almost Perfect" Perk. **Neither does your character have the Nuclear Anomaly perk. *Your character doesn't go from New York, to Lost Hills in ten minutes. A year or more is reasonable. *Your character isn't the Lone Wanderer, Vault Dweller or Chosen One. **Or his/her son/daughter. **Your Character hasn't worked with the Vault Dweller, Chosen One or Lone Wanderer on their seminal Quests either. **Your character cannot beat them in a fight either. Not even if they're in MR-6 Armor, or Jacob Vaughton. Not even Jacob Vaughton in MR-6 Armor can make such a claim. *Your character doesn't have an invincible army of death and destruction. (unless your in the Crusade, or Enclave) *Your character doesn't come back from the dead. **Even if your character was a ghoul. They aren't zombies you idiot. **And no, your character didn't have his/her brain scooped into a Robo-Brain. **If you want it to look like they died, but want to use them again, leave the death ambiguous, like falling into a river, or down a chasm or some such. *Your character isn't instantaneously known across the wasteland as soon as he/she is born. *Your character doesn't have a secret paradise untouched by the bombs where he/she hangs out every day. *Your character isn't a Mary Sue. **If you are, then you are not following this guide properly. *No magic, no wizards. No aliens either. This is Fallout Fanon, not Marvel Fanon (no disrespect to Marvel Fanon Communities). *If your Character's story involves other established Characters, ask their author's permission before making the reference, especially if it would have an effect on the already written Character. *And no, you don't have a magical raido that allows you to talk to people across the nation. The DC Brotherhood can't do it, and you can't do it. Tough luck. *Can't have a name of a character or person from another game or from this game, be original! *Your character does not have a pet that isn't affected by the Animal Friend Perk, no matter how cool a pet Deathclaw or Mirelurk would be. *Your character does not go against/fly in the face of the norm/established persona of their rank. So no kind Enclave Commanders, gentlemanly Talon Company Mercs, or compassionate Assassins. Such people are living oxymorons. *Read here for an example of a bad character. * AND FOR CHIRST'S SAKE,NO 50% HUMAN ABOMINATIONS! (Chimeras not included) Note: Feel free to add to this list.